Buoyant marine life-saving apparatus.



R. BELL.

BUOYANT MARINE LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 19I6.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

2 $HEETSSHEET 1.

R. BELL.

BUOYANT MARINE LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, i916. 1 1 98 991 Patented Sept. 19,1916.

2'SHEETS-SHEFT 2.

O O O O 0 ROBERT BELL, 0F LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

BUQYANT MARINE LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented se t. 19, 1916.

Application filed June 19, 1916. Serial No. 104,607.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT BELL, a subj ect of the King of England, and resident of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Connected with Buoyant Marine Life-Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to marine life-saving apparatus.

The present invention comprises a casing having perforated lower parts and hinged. sides and a floatable cap or lid, of a series of flat floatable life saving appliances which are arranged in horizontal planes one above the other within the casing, and are adapted to be expanded and collapsed. Each of the said floatable life saving appliances consists of a multiplicity of articulated members, each pair of which is loosely hinged at the center; and each of the members of each part is similarly hinged at its outer end to each of the two members of other pairs adjacent to them, forming a species of lazy tongs; and in connection with the ends of the members, life lines are provided, being threaded through suitable eyelets or the like on them. Also each side or end member of the saving appliance may have life lines attached to it, by similar means.

The center portion of the appliance may be provided with means for holding accessories; and these holding means may be in the form of clamps, staples, canvas loops, or the like, in which may be contained or held a hand signal flag, spare cord lashings, a whistle or sounding device, or the like.

The members of the device are made preferably of wood bars, having on their outer faces strips of cork securely fastened with wood screws or the like, and covered with duck, canvas or the like; and if desired also over this, strips or bands may be provided for strengthening the covering.

The articles are held or stored in a bottomless chest which may be fastened down securely to the deck; and the lid is in the form of a cap fitting over the ends and sides of it, and is removable, and has a projecting edge at the top so that when the chest comes into the water it will float off,

and being provided with life lines, consti-' tutes a life saving device in itself. WVhen the lid is raised from its position, it frees the ends and sides of the chest, which are movable and collapsible, and can then fall away outwardly, and so free the expansible life saving appliances stored in it, of which there may be any number; and these may be laid one upon the other in the chest, or in any suitable mode of stowing.

The cap-lid may be lined with cork and supplied with spare cord lashing, signal flag, and a whistle or the like attached to the under side, and it floats from its position converted into a life save1",'immediately upon becoming submerged. When the life saving devices are so liberated, they become scattered over the surface of the water in the locality where the vessel has foundered,

and within easy reach of the swimmers.

The chest will be plainly lettered on the outside, so as to clearly indicate its contents and their purpose. a

In bad weather the apparatus may be held down by a belt lashing which extends over it lengthwise from end to end, and is connected at one end withmeans which is provided and fastened to the deck, and at the other end with a quick-slip arrangement as hereinafter described.

Inside the chest, and placed loosely on the top of the life saving appliances may be one or more roomy canvas bags strengthened, with suitable attachments, to hold children while being lowered from the deck of the vessel to the water below and to those ready to receive them.

The apparatus is hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate it. and the invention claimed is the combinations of parts hereinafter specified in the several claiming clauses concluding the specification, such parts not be ing claimed individually.

Of the drawings Figure 1 shows the appliance partly extended. Fig. 2 shows it closed up; and Fig. 3 shows it in end View. Fig. 4 is a view of a chest with movable ends and sides in which the appliances are stored. Figs. 5 to 12 show details.

Referring to the drawings 1 are the articulated members, forming the main members of the appliance hinged together with bolts, nuts, lock-nuts and washers at the centers at 2, and at their ends at 3; and forming a species of lazy tongs apparatus.

4: are eyes screwed or otherwise fastened in the ends of the longer members 1, which are extended beyond the hinges 3; and 5 are life-lines threaded through them, which are looped between each pair of adjacent eyes. Similar eyes 6 are provided on the edges of the end members 1 and life lines 7 are similarly threaded through them. The life lines are knotted at both ends to secure them in position; and the lengths of the lines at the extreme ends of the members 1 regulates the limit of extension ofthe appliances. The loops 7 in the life lines are permanentmade so, say by lashings or bindings-and form arm-pit loop supports at regular distances around the four sides of the appliance, and offer security to swimmers or non-swimmers.

On two of the members 1-see Figs. 2.

and 3-canvas loops 10 are provided for accessories, such as a hand signal flag, a spare cord lashing, and whistle, or the like.

The members 1 are preferably made of wood, and have cork strips 11 fastened to their outer surfaces by wood. screws; and

they are covered in with a canvas covering to protect them against absorption; and at intervals along the canvas covering are triple-folded bands of canvas; which acts as small distance pieces along the members when folded, so that air can pass up between them, and ventilate freely all the several parts and members, when the appliances are folded and stored in the storage chest. These distance pieces also offer the least possible surface of paint between the adjacent" appliances to adhere, when in the chest with their weight one upon the other.

The appliances are fitted with means of preventing them closing when once they are extended in the water. The means consists of self-acting hinged locking plates 13-see Fig. 5fitted to the sides of the members 1 as shown, and near the V or crutch of the.

pair; and any number of the devices may he fitted to an appliance as may be deemed desirable. The plates 1.3 are sunk their own depth into the edges of the member to which they are attached, so that they are flush with the edges and do not interfere with the required andproper full closing together of the members of the appliance; and these sunk parts also form a receptacle or partfor the drop locking device or plate 13 to rest upon, when out of action. Inthe member opposite the device 13 there is provided a striking plate 14 so arranged that when the appliance is extended the device or plate 13 will drop into the position shown in broken lines in Fig 5, and will press against the plates 14: and so resist and protect the woodwork and make. the locking effective.

The locking devices are provided on both sets of members 1, so that no matter which side of the appliance may be uppermost in the water, one of the self-acting locking devices acts and locks the members when extended in the water; and the other device re maining inoperative.

Regarding the storing chest 20, this is shown generally in Fig. 4e in outside view; and in detail in Figs. 6 and 7 Fig. 6 being a plan of part of the casing, and Fig. 7 a

vertical section of the upper part of the chest and its lid or cover. The chest consists of ends and sides, hinged at their lower edges by butt hinges to the upper edge of the lower parts 21 which are secured to the deck of the ship by angle fastenings 22-, or the like. The chest is constructed without a bottom, and within the lower part 21, fixed to the deck, transverse strips 23 are provided, and the life saving appliances rest on them, when stored in the chest; and by which they are well ventilated, and kept dry and free from damp caused by. bad weather and change of climate, while round holes and half-holes 24: bored in the fixed lower parts 21 also serve to ventilate the chest, and are also a means for'draining. it. The sides and ends 25, 26' are provided with vertical bars 28, which serve as packing strips and serve to support the life saving appliances at their edges, when the vessel is in motion. Theends 26 fit up against the corner bars 27. acting as supports when the sides and ends are in their closed and vertical positions.v

The lid 30 is of cap-form, the dependingflange of which fits over theupper edges of the sides and ends; andwhen so inclosing these edges, it holds the sides and ends up; and the upper edges of the sides and ends are provided with projecting half ball headed studs 31, say by driving galvanized metal headed nails into them, so that the the chest, by allowing a constant. current ofair to circulate.

The edge 3Q of the lid projecting three inches. beyond the sides and ends 25, 26, will assist its being floated off: the body when the water reaches it on the outside.

The lid 30 haslife lines 3tprovided on its edges, or some of them, in the same manner, as on the edges of the life savingappliances; and whenthe lid isjfioatedofl it will serve as alife saving appliance, it be ing provided with; a floating medium. by lining its lid on the inside, with a corklining.

The lid is heldpdown in position. on the chest, so as to prevent it being blown or V washed off in rough weather, by a belt lashing and fastening, shown in Figs. 8 to 11. Figs; 8, 9, and 10 show one end of the belt lashing and fastening, and Fig. 11 the other. The belt is marked 40, and extends lengthwise of the chest, from end to end; and at one end-Fig. 11the fastening consists of a cord lashing all, attached toa ring bolt 12 on the deck. The fastening at the other end consists of a tongue 13, hinged at 44 to a metal sheet fastening 45, riveted or otherwise secured to the end of the belt 40. The tongue 43 is adapted to pass through an aperture in a block 46 fastened to the deck, and have inserted through a hole in it, a split cotter pin 47. By withdrawingthe pin 47, the whole belt fastening is released; the time required for effecting it, being only a few seconds.

In action, in the foundering of a vessel fitted with the invention, the lashing, if this had been previously secured over the lid, would be released by the removal of pins 47, the water reaching the chest would enter through the holes 24, in the lower parts 21; and as the water rises, the buoyant saving appliances would be lifted by it, and eventually when the buoyancy pressure reaches a certain intensity the lid 30 would be lifted off the chest body and so the sides and ends 25, 26, would be liberated, and they could fall outward on their hinges, and so allow the life saving appliances to float away on the surface of the water within the vicinity where the vessel has foundered.

One of the advantages provided by the use of the storing chest, is that it holds together a number of saving appliances compactly arranged, and ready for use in case of emergency, at any moment, and prevents the appliances from being prematurely released, as happens with many types of floating saving appliances, to the danger of those on board during the time the vessel is in labor; whereas by this invention the appliances are kept under control until the time arrives when their release is necessary, 2'. 6. when the water reaches them, and floats them away on its surface.

This invention by means of the expanding life saving appliances provides for the support of the greatest number of persons, when in the water, with a maximum of buoyancy and with a minimum weight of material; and at the same time requiring very little room for storage; while the .autoinatic storing chest provides convenient storage space on board the vessels carrying them; and the appliances are reliable in their action to effect the purpose they are intended for, with the least possible assistance and attention.

A further modification of storing chest (Fig. 12), namely a modification of Fig. 7 shows spiral spring attachments 18 of which four are shown, 1 at each corner of the chest end. These attachments serve to raise the cap lid when the cotter pin is withdrawn from the releasing gear, and by this means, the tong is drawn from its socket thereby making the release doubly certain.

lVhat is claimed is 1. Marine life saving apparatus comprising in combination, a casing having perforated lower parts and hinged sides; a lid for the casing adapted to float therefrom when the casing is sub-merged; and a series of expanding flat floatable raft appliances arranged in horizontal planes one above the other within the casing, the submerging of the casing causing the lid to float and thereby release the hinged sides and permit the expansion of the floatable raft appliances on the water.

2. Marine life saving apparatus comprising in combination a plurality of floatable expanding raft appliances; a casing having hinged walls and containing the appliances; perforated lower parts to the easing; a lid which fits on the casing and incloses the appliances therein and which floats from the casing when submerged and releases the hinged walls and appliances; belt lashings for securing the lid in position; blocks secured to a deck; and means for detachably connecting the ends of the belt lashings to the blocks; substantially as set forth.

3. Marine life saving apparatus comprising a casing having hinged sides; a floatable lid to the casing provided with cork or like material attached thereto; and floatable ex pansible appliances inclosed in the casing by the lid, the submerging of the casing causing the lid to float and release the hinged sides and permit the floatable ap pliances to expand on the water.

l. lvfarine life saving apparatus com prising a casing having hinged sides, a floatable lid to the casing, said lid floating when the casing is submerged and thereby releasing the sides, life lines secured on the floatable lid, a plurality of floatable expansible appliances inclosed in the casing by the lid and released to expand on the water when the lid is removed, and detachable locking means fastened to the deck of the ship for holding the lid on the casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT BELL.

lVit-nesses SoMnRvILLn GOODALL, lVILLIaM. J. IIUMPI-IREYS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, 1). C. 

